


Frisbee for Three

by RefrainGirl



Series: Crowley & Dog: Adventures after Armageddon't [2]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: #ButterOmens, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Crowley is Good With Kids (Good Omens), Don't copy to another site, Epic Friendship, Gen, Insecure Crowley (Good Omens), Lower Tadfield (Good Omens), Male Friendship, Originally Posted on Tumblr, POV Dog (Good Omens), Post-Almost Apocalypse (Good Omens), Snake Crowley (Good Omens), Soft Crowley (Good Omens), Tree Climbing, and the idealization of dog toys, because Dog is Dog, dog toys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:28:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23237707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RefrainGirl/pseuds/RefrainGirl
Summary: Written for @n0nb1narydemon and @acuteangleaziraphale'sButterOmensevent on Tumblr.“I was driving by, on my way to pick up some tea for the luncheon going on at your parent’s house because the angel asked me to, and I noticed a bright, colorful disc sitting abandoned in a tree. Decided to see what it was and then the sun came out and, heh, I forgot all about leaving.”Dog's frisbee gets stuck in a tree that cannot be climbed, and all hope to retrieve his favorite toy seems lost... until he and Adam come back that afternoon to discover a certain demon lounging in the exact same tree, on the exact branch where that exact toy sits untouched.
Relationships: Crowley & Adam Young (Good Omens), Crowley & Dog (Good Omens), Dog & Adam Young (Good Omens)
Series: Crowley & Dog: Adventures after Armageddon't [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1670659
Comments: 24
Kudos: 61
Collections: Ixnael’s Recommendations, Ixnael’s SFW corner





	Frisbee for Three

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote a (extremely self-indulgent and probably obscure) thing for the ButterOmens event on Tumblr, at long last! The rules post can be found [here](https://n0nb1narydemon.tumblr.com/post/611808756218707968) for those who want to participate, but basically the plan is to start a 'draw this in your style' kind of post for any type of artistic expression. Doesn't have to be a fic, could be art or cosplay or whatever you're inspired to do! I've chosen fic writing cuz that's what I love, so if any of you guys want to add onto my story, I welcome all comers! The Tumblr version of this fic can be found [here](https://refraingirl-the-writer.tumblr.com/post/613158252459524096/frisbee-for-three), if you want to reblog it with your content or link your content back to my original post, and I would be absolutely okay with you posting your work as a 'works inspired by' link to my fic on AO3 as well! I have no word limit to speak of, and would be thrilled to see all fanworks that you guys can come up with based on my story!
> 
> It took me a while to decide which story I wanted to post, and in the end I decided to step away from the norm and see what people might create for Crowley & Dog fanwork! I am super excited and looking forward to future responses!

“Don’t worry, Dog. I’ll bet the wind will blow it right out of this tree in no time.”

Adam was standing beneath the culprit, a large, gnarled oak that stood alone in the field they were playing in, observing the branch that had caught Dog’s special frisbee with a patient frown. It was special because it was a frisbee with a hole in the center, easy to snatch out of the air and equally as easy to carry back to Adam in glorious triumph, and somehow it had gotten hung up on the highest point of the oak. The unlikely scenario in which Dog jumped just a hair short and consequently missed nabbing the frisbee had, in fact, happened, and Dog was greatly disappointed in himself because of it. Months of practice had come and gone and here he sat, glaring yet again at another tree that had the gall to catch his toy and not give it back. If it were any other tree, then Adam would have simply climbed the thing and plucked Dog’s favorite frisbee right out of its grabby little branch fingers. That would have been that. No tree was allowed to keep it, because it belonged to Dog. In the end, it was always forced to give back what didn’t belong to it.

But this old oak was being stubborn. It had no lower branches for Adam to use to hoist himself further up, nothing at all to use for purchase. Which meant that, to Dog’s dismay, the tree could be as difficult as it wanted. Nothing was being handed over until a taller person came along and decided to offer their help - and that wouldn’t happen. The people in Tadfield weren’t that tall, and even if they were, most of them were getting on in years, unfortunately. Climbing trees wasn’t their strong suit, at least not anymore. The only human who happened to be walking by right now was R.P. Tyler, and he would much rather offer a lecture than actually do anything to fix the problem. His little hound was even worse in the attitude department. He loved to snicker at Dog whenever this kind of incident befell him, and Dog didn’t appreciate the cheek. Not one bit. He was doing it now in fact, giving him a smug look as he strode past with his master, and Dog growled in response, wishing that he had his old form back - if only to scare the proper daylights right out of whoever was deserving of it, you see. Nothing got scared of him these days. He almost missed it, although he liked the idea of being soft and pettable a whole lot more than he used to. It had grown on him over time, and he couldn’t complain when Adam or Pepper or Wensleydale bent down to give him a good pat.

Brian he was alright with too, as long as he wasn’t too sticky when he decided to touch him. Having clots in his fur wasn’t fun, and it often took a long time to lick the mess out of his coat. It did taste good, though. Usually.

The jeering laughter of Tyler’s dog only fueled his urgency to snatch his toy back from this terribly affronting oak tree. Dog barked a few expletives, turning back to offer his young master a few grumbled apologies for the language, and then began to work his way up the trunk. Since there were no branches he could reach, he decided that his main course of action would be to jump as high as he could. Perhaps if he did, his feet might land on something sturdy and he could actually climb this cursed tree.

Dog was quite proud of his jumping skills, and proceeded to bark himself encouragement as he sprang like a rabbit from the ground. Doing so brought him no closer to any branches, however he was loathe to give up. Each jump was more and more impressive to behold, carrying him closer and closer to reaching his goal. He did a flip or two, then continued to psych himself up as he barked louder. He could do this! No stupid tree could defeat him!

But the single thing that could stop him, did. “Dog, that’s enough.”

Oh no. Adam had said the words, and in a firm, commanding voice, to boot. But he was so close, he could feel it! Dog turned around and whined, pleading for just one more shot at the frisbee. _Please, master, I can do it! I was almost there!_ He tried to make his eyes twinkle as he raised a paw to Adam’s pantleg.

“No, you can’t keep barking and jumping around like that. You’ll disturb people,” he explained, reaching down to gently lower Dog’s paw onto the ground where it belonged. “Just ‘cause we’re in a big field doesn’t mean that nobody can hear you. We have to be considerate of others! Mum always says that respect is earned, not given. So if we wanna be respected, we gotta earn it! D’you understand, Dog?”

He blinked, and eventually gave a quiet huff of acknowledgement. His master was right, as always. Besides, the one thing that he had absolutely no choice in was listening to Adam’s orders, and obeying them. His word was law. Dog knew that there would be consequences if he didn’t behave, and those time-outs in the doghouse were awful punishments. He didn’t want to self impose that on himself, no matter how badly he wished he could break his frisbee out of its tree prison.

If only he were bigger! Then all this trouble could have been avoided!

His shortness was turning out to be a terrible failing, and Dog railed against the injustice of it all with a sad, howling wail. How could this world be so cruel to him, and by extension his master!? What misfortune!

“Now, now, Dog. It’s okay,” Adam soothed, reaching down to softly pet his head. It was soothing, as Adam’s presence often was, and Dog chose to bask in it as he snuffled into his palm. “We’ll just have to get another of your toys to play with in the meantime. When we come back, I’m sure your frisbee’ll be lying on the ground. We can pick it up and play with it then. Okay?”

Dog was resigned to agree, as much as it pained him to do so; and when Adam turned to leave, Dog fell into step close beside him. No dramatics, no complaining. That kind of outburst would’ve done him no good, anyway. His frisbee would still be there when they came back. Adam had said so, and what Adam said was the truth. Dog had unfailing trust in his master, so if he said that it would be sitting on the grass, awaiting their return, then it would.

He was proud of himself when he only turned around once to stare longingly at the frisbee.

* * *

Dog pranced happily in front of Adam as they made their way over towards the old oak from earlier that morning. He was excited because this meant that he would finally be able to play with his special frisbee again after waiting all day. He had been playing with other toys that were fun, like his rubber chewy bone and a long tug-of-war rope, but they still weren’t _quite_ as fun as his absolute favorite plaything. Nothing could compare to the sensation of giving chase, flying through the air to catch a spinning circle before it came into contact with anything. That was a crucial part of the game after all, not giving his toy the chance to touch a stick or a single blade of grass during its journey; and even better than that was when he toted his holey prize around after sprinting across a large expanse of open land for it. Adam congratulating him on a job well done, rubbing his fur in that loving, scrunchy way when he brought the frisbee over, feeling his lungs heaving, panting like a maniac from the exertion as he prepared to do it all over again.

But as they approached the trunk of the tree, Dog noticed that the toy was still very much stuck on the same branch as before. The wind had picked up a little, and the frisbee was rocking slightly to and fro in the breeze, but it hadn’t come down yet.

The joy he had been feeling on the way over sunk into a deep pit, and he let out a miserable whimper.

“Huh. Guess the weather’s not strong enough right now,” Adam mumbled, scratching his chin thoughtfully. “Too bad I don’t have much for powers anymore. Could’ve just willed the wind to blow it down or something…”

With great dismay, Dog lowered himself onto his haunches. He gazed wistfully up at unreachable heights that taunted him with relentless persistence. It was so unfair. They had been patient all day long, he had behaved himself and everything! And still no good had come of it. He barked, but it was a sad, quiet one that made Adam sympathize. He placed a hand onto Dog’s head and shared in his emotions, watching the frisbee teeter on the tip of the branch with a sigh.

“What rotten luck. We may have to come back tomorrow, Dog.”

Tomorrow. That didn’t sound promising. What if tomorrow was just as calm as today? What would Dog do then?

The melancholy silence was disrupted by rustling in the branches above, and Adam blinked as a few leaves fluttered past his face. They were healthy and green, as leaves ought to be during the summer, and they made Dog startle when they landed on his back. Springing to his feet, he shook hard enough to make them slip onto the ground and sniffed at them curiously. There was something odd about these leaves. They did have the normal leaf smell to them, but there was a hint of something else there, too…

“Leaves?” Adam bent down to pick one up by its stem, twirling it in his fingers with a thoughtful frown. “Why would these be falling? Must be squirrels or something.”

“Oi, watch who you’re calling a squirrel.”

Dog’s ears perked up, his tail wagging at a speed that would have probably broken bones in any other creature’s anatomy as soon as he realized who it was. Someone adequately tall had arrived to assist them, and this was a someone that Dog hadn’t seen in ages! He craned his small neck, looking all around them for the source of the voice, yet no matter how intently he searched, they were alone in the field. A familiar-looking Bentley had parked itself out of the way on the side of the road, but it was empty, devoid of any passengers or its eccentric driver.

Weird. He could’ve sworn he’d heard…

“Mr. Crowley?”

Adam had started searching for him as well. He wandered all the way around the base of the oak, smiling when he discovered a set of footprints in the grass without anyone nearby to claim them. He tilted his head towards the uppermost branches, squinting against the harsh afternoon sunlight, and Dog found himself doing the same. “Is that you? I can’t see you,” he said, baffled. “Have demons figured out a way to become invisible?”

“Not exactly.”

There it was again, Crowley’s deep voice followed by an amused chuckle. Dog sniffed the trunk of the tree and caught the unmistakable scent of demon clinging to the scratchy bark, along with another smell that matched the one he’d picked up on the leaves before, a uniquely serpentine musk. He huffed out loud, discovering all at once what had happened, and wondered what exactly had brought this on. Usually Crowley was careful not to reveal this side of himself around others.

“I guess camouflage is a way to be invisible, but I’m not technically invisible. Just, y’know, hanging out. This tree’s got tons of leaves that make it hard to see me, and the sun makes this perch even better. It’s just sssso warm…”

Dog couldn’t see very well despite the protection from the sunlight (Adam had leaned down to kindly shade his eyes as well as his own), but he did catch a glimpse of the tip of a black tail as it flickered through the branches.

“Wow! I didn’t know you could be a snake!” Adam exclaimed, beaming up at what he could see of Crowley with childlike wonder. “That’s super cool!”

Dog agreed with that statement, jumping up to place his front paws on the trunk. He scratched at the bark a little, wishing he could climb up to say hello. _Crowley friend! Crowley friend is here!!!_

“Didn’t mean to still be here, actually,” he admitted, sounding uncomfortable about the whole ordeal of being discovered in this form. “I was driving by, on my way to pick up some tea for the luncheon going on at your parent’s house because the angel asked me to, and I noticed a bright, colorful disc sitting abandoned in a tree. Decided to see what it was and then the sun came out and, heh, I forgot all about leaving.”

“Why didn’t you use your wings and fly up there, then? Would’ve been a lot faster.”

“Wish I could’ve, but I don’t wanna draw too much attention, ‘specially around here. And climbing this oak in human form wasn’t gonna happen, so…”

Adam nodded his understanding, reading the atmosphere correctly. “Well, don’t worry, Mr. Crowley. I don’t think it’s bad or anything. Snakes are real neat, and they remind me of dragons, which are also awesome. You’re basically a dragon, just with no wings.”

The demon sounded pleased to hear such a compliment. “Thanks, Adam.”

“And I won’t tell anybody what I saw, honest. Can’t really see much anyway.”

“That was the plan.” His tail coiled itself tighter around the branch as a brief gust shook the tree, and Dog saw a section of Crowley’s long body shiver. “Ugh. Bloody cold wind,” he muttered under his breath. “S-so, what is this round thing for, anyway? Doesn’t look like it has a lot of purpose.”

Dog barked excitedly, jumping a ways up the trunk before slipping back down again. _My toy, my toy! At long last, my toy!_

Adam was just about to open his mouth to answer when Crowley snorted. “Right, dog toys, makes sense. Smells overwhelmingly like hellhound, too. Should’ve figured.”

“That’s right,” he said, staring down at Dog with great intrigue before looking back up again. “Could you please get it down for us? Dog would be thrilled if you helped get his toy back.”

Crowley let out a soft hiss. “I’d have to put that… thing… in my mouth to do that,” he said, sounding less than enthusiastic about the prospect.

“Yup.” Adam didn’t seem to see the harm in it. “I always make sure to wash his frisbee clean once I get home.”

“Yeah, but you haven’t brought it home yet, have you?”

“No. But we only got around to tossing it once or twice before it got hung up. It’s practically brand new.”

Crowley sighed, tucking his tail further out of sight beneath the canopy of leaves. “Adam, ‘practically brand new’ and ‘brand new’ are two completely different concepts. Forget it, ‘m not putting my lips on this slime collector. Absolutely not.”

Dog could see the negotiations breaking down before his eyes. His master was running out of excuses, so he had to do something before the fate of his beloved frisbee was decided without him!

In a last ditch effort to plead his case, Dog barked a proposal. _I won’t lick you for a whole year, Crowley friend!_

The silence was thick with tension, or at least it was for Dog. He knew how much Crowley disliked being licked, but he had done it so often out of natural instinct that he hardly thought about stopping himself anymore. He simply couldn’t help rushing up to lick the people he liked. Their reactions were always the same - Mr. Young gently nudging him away with a foot whenever he tried; Mrs. Young hugging him close, as she was more than happy to let him lick her face. Adam loved it as well, grinning from ear to ear whenever Dog licked his chin. He hadn’t seen an issue with any of it until Crowley. The demon chided him every time, even when he genuinely forgot how much it bothered him. “No licks, you blasted mutt,” he would mutter, wagging a finger discouragingly into Dog’s muzzle. “This face is reserved for one person, and that person isn’t you!”

As much as Dog wanted to lick his friends, as big a show of affection as it was, and as challenging as it would be to hold himself back from it whenever he saw Crowley, he would commit to this condition if it meant he could hold his frisbee in his mouth again.

At last, Crowley decided to respond. “A whole year, eh?” He sounded mildly interested, like he was waiting for a better offer to come along. “Dunno, sounds like a pretty lame reward for something of this scale…”

 _Two years!_ It would be an incredible feat, but Dog was determined to get his toy back, whatever the cost. _I won’t lick you for two whole years, Crowley friend! Hellhound’s honor!_

“Mm…” Dog could barely see the tip of his tail twitching. “Do hellhounds have an honor system?”

_Please, Crowley friend? Please?_

“Ugh. Don’t sound so pitiful. You’re supposed to be a hellhound!” Dog had resumed his high pitch whining again, and a big sigh came from above their heads. “Take it down a notch! I’ll do it, if only to shut you up and save myself from two years of slobber.”

Two years of no licking was a sacrifice that he was more than willing to make. Dog howled, working a backflip into his jumping routine. _Thank you, Crowley friend! Thank you, thanks so much!_

“Yeah, yeah,” he hissed, and when next he spoke it sounded like he was talking around an object that was stuck in his mouth. “FYI, I don’t enjoy putting drool-covered objects anywhere near my own mouth! You’d damn well better adhere to our agreement after all thissss!”

Adam had been looking at the both of them with absolute awe during the exchange, and now he was shaking his head in amazement. “You guys can talk to each other?” he asked, laughing. “That is wicked!”

“Yeah well, I can only understand him when I’m in snake form,” Crowley said, slithering his way along the branches at a leisurely pace. The occasional leaf broke free and floated down towards the ground as he went, marking his path. “We’re both creatures of Hell, which already helps things along significantly, and taking an animal form just opens up the channels for communication even more. But as soon as I change back to my human form it’s all annoying barking and loud yips, and I have to go back to reading him like usual. Still, I’d rather have that than deal with the hellhounds Downstairs. They’re not worth listening to, all death threats and snarling about being hungry all the time. Poor form of entertainment, if you ask me. At least your helly hellhound has things to say other than ‘FEED ME SOULS OF THE DAMNED’. ‘Sides, it’s kinda nice to be thanked by a creature you never expected would thank anyone, ever.”

He paused for a moment. “Also nice that I can talk like this without making my own saliva-ridden mess all over myself. Hate that, ‘s undignified. I _really_ don’t want this thing in my mouth anymore.”

Adam grinned, holding out his hands. “If you want, you can drop it down and I’ll catch it?”

Crowley didn’t need to think twice about that option. The frisbee was hurtling down towards them in an instant, and he was making disgusted sounds from wherever he was hiding in the tree. Dog still couldn’t see much of him, but that was fine. He was more interested in his toy right now anyway and as soon as it came within his reach, he jumped up, latching his mouth onto it with a gleeful growl. He then proceeded to spend a few joyful minutes just shaking it around, tossing his head back and forth, relishing in the plastic taste and the now slippery texture of the best toy in existence.

Dog was so busy preoccupying himself with his favorite frisbee that he only noticed Crowley approaching them once he was out of the tree and back in his human form again. That was more than likely his preference for the company he found himself in, so Dog paid it no heed and stumbled over to greet him, shaking his toy with enough disorienting force to send him tottering off in the wrong direction more than once.

Adam crossed his arms, looking highly pleased with the outcome. “Thanks for that, Mr. Crowley. Dog’s gonna be in your debt!”

“Actually, we’ve already come to a certain… understanding.”

Crowley’s expression soured as he stared at the state of the frisbee, wiping at his mouth with the back of a hand. “I cannot believe I just did that,” he griped, looking pointedly away when Dog stopped to grin over at him, frisbee dangling from his slimy lips. “Don’t you bother with the cute act, you little monster. You’ve no idea how revolting that was. Never doing that again, no matter how much you beg.”

His frown deepened when he saw Dog padding towards him with the intent to lick, the details of their previous contract lost in the wave of natural doglike behaviorism, and he put a hand firmly on his hip. “Oi, no jumping and no licking allowed,” Crowley muttered, taking a few hurried steps back. “Did you already forget about the agreement? ‘M not that surprised, didn’t think it’d slip your mind so quick, though. Seriously, I don’t tolerate that kind of affectionate rubbish, so you can just…”

Dog had been trying to listen, he really had. But he was so pleased to see the demon that he jumped up anyway, placing both paws on Crowley’s knee as he did a long, languid stretch against him. Dog’s eyelids slid half shut, and he let out a groan as his muscles flexed, tiny body bending into a near perfect, pleasant curve. _Crowley friend_ , he thought, relaxing at last and smiling up at him, tongue lolling to one side across the toy in his mouth, _Good to see you again!_

Trapped under the attentiveness of that adoring face, something inside Crowley crumbled. He scoffed, turning his face away and doing a really good job of pretending not to care, but Dog didn’t miss the change in his demeanor nor the way his hand came down to ruffle his ears and make them feel amazing.

“… Sod off,” he finished half-heartedly, hiding a smile as Dog’s rear leg began to move in repetitive circles. Had his ears been that itchy before? If they were, he must not have noticed. The way Crowley’s firm fingers massaged at them made Dog groan again and lean harder into the touch. He wasn’t aware of how fast his leg was going, either. “Hmph. What a nuisance you are, begging for attention all the time.”

Adam watched them both with a knowing grin, and gestured out towards the field once Crowley seemed to realize how long he had been standing there, petting the hellhound that had literally just finished annoying him moments ago. “We’re gonna go play for a bit more, before it gets too late. D’you wanna come toss the frisbee with us for a while, Mr. Crowley?”

He jerked his hand away with a huff, ignoring how those doggy eyes desperately asked for more petting. “Can’t, sorry. I still gotta go buy some tea,” he said, pocketing his hands with a shrug. “If I don’t, I’ll catch an earful from Aziraphale.”

Adam nodded. “Gotcha. Next time, then!” He waved his hand towards Dog, taking a few steps out into the open field. “C’mon Dog, let’s throw your frisbee before we get called back for dinner!”

Dog grumbled quietly, following along behind Adam with a heavy reluctance. He _did_ want to play with his toy, and he _did_ want Adam to throw it for him. But he couldn’t stop himself from glancing over his shoulder back at Crowley. The last time they had played together was a lot of fun, even though he threatened to make Dog eat nothing but vegetables for a month if he told anyone about it. The demon never tired, and his throws were always long and fast, testing Dog’s endurance and speed each time. He would never admit to enjoying himself, but Dog could tell that he did. The slight smile, the glint of his eyes from behind those dark glasses, the way he called Dog a ‘good boy’ every time he came rushing back, toy in mouth. He said it in a whisper that nobody but Dog could hear, but that just made it a million times more precious.

Taking a few more hesitant steps, Dog turned around again to stare. Crowley hadn’t left yet, watching after them with hands still placed in his pockets. He didn’t look like he was ready to go and sit around at a luncheon. In fact, he looked extremely bored.

Dog cocked his head to one side, considered the repercussions of implementing his brilliant idea, and made the critical decision to _not_ care about them.

He bounded back towards Crowley, watching his eyebrow lift as he dropped the frisbee on the toe of his boot and sat down expectantly. “You’re getting drool all over me,” he complained. “Take your toy back and go follow Adam.”

But Dog merely shook his head, planting his butt firmer on the ground with a bark. “’M not throwing it for you.”

Dog blinked up at him.

“Go on, bring it to Adam.”

He licked his lips patiently, still refusing to move.

Crowley shook his head, frowning down at him with a sigh. “Stubborn as Hell, aren’t you? And I do mean that literally,” he grumbled, crossing his arms. Dog simply stared back. He could pretend all he wanted, but Dog knew that he wanted to have a go. All he had to do was give Crowley an excuse to say yes, and being stubborn was the perfect excuse.

Adam had gotten wise to Dog’s tactic, and was grinning even bigger now. “He won’t move till you toss it at least once,” he said. “He does that to me all the time, too.”

Dog actually didn’t, but he was appreciative of his master’s addition. They were a team, after all.

Finally, Crowley glanced off to the side, rubbing the back of his head with an exasperated hiss. “Fine, fine! I’ll toss the damn thing for a minute! One minute, that’s all!” he snapped.

But the small smirk gave away his true feelings.

**Author's Note:**

> Come and say hi on Tumblr!
> 
> You can find me at my main blog [@refraingirl](https://refraingirl.tumblr.com/) or at my writing blog [@refraingirl-the-writer](https://refraingirl-the-writer.tumblr.com/)!


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